"There wasn’t a single moment when I felt safe trying to grab my bidon or take a gel" - Jonas Vingegaard on why he and Visma pressured organizers into neutralizing Giro finale
Cycling
Stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia 2026 delivered more than another successful defence of the maglia rosa by Jonas Vingegaard. The day was defined by tension between riders and race organisers over the state of the final circuit in Milan, a layout the peloton deemed excessively dangerous, which led to a late rule change before the finish.
The commissaires decided to neutralize the times for the general classification with 17 kilometers to go, right at the start of the final lap of the city circuit. An exceptional measure that followed talks between several riders and race direction, with Vingegaard among the most vocal.
“I might have spent more time today in the race director’s car than in my own team car,” the Dane joked post-stage on Cycling Pro Net. Behind the light tone, however, lay a clear critique of the course design and, in particular, the road surface on Milan’s streets.
The Giro leader explained that rider unease was widespread from the moment they began to reconnoitre the final circuit. According to him, conversations in the bunch quickly converged on a common stance to demand immediate changes.
“As riders, we all felt today that maybe this wasn’t the safest circuit to race on,” he said. Vingegaard added that he spoke “with many riders,” and together they agreed to push the organisers to react before a major crash occurred.
The Dane went directly to the race director’s vehicle, to relay the peloton’s concerns. And, as he acknowledged, the organizers’ response was constructive.
“Today they really listened to us and made some concessions,” he noted. He even publicly thanked the commissaires: “I think we, as riders, should also say thank you.”
Neutralizing GC times allowed the favourites to avoid risking the Giro in an explosive, technical city finale, while the stage win still played out normally among the sprinters and the day’s attackers.
The last bunch sprint finish took place in the city of Napoli, in which the crash altered the outcome of the day and where riders and fans alike had harsh criticism for the choice of finale in the route.
Jonas Vingegaard feared for his safety
Asked to specify what made the circuit so dangerous, Vingegaard was blunt. The issue, he said, wasn’t just the usual tension of an urban sprint, but the road condition across almost the entire loop.
“The road here wasn’t the best,” he summed up. He then listed a series of obstacles that complicated bunch handling: “There were lots of potholes, lots of those bumps in the road pretty much all the time.”
The discomfort was such that it even affected basic race actions. “I’d say, basically, there wasn’t a single moment when I felt safe trying to grab my bidon or take a gel,” he admitted.
The Dane also pointed to the tram tracks, always a tricky feature on any urban circuit for pros. “There were many, and it was very, very bumpy going over them,” he explained.
Jonas Vingegaard will carry the pink jersey into the final week of the Giro
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Caution despite the cushion
Beyond the day’s controversy, Vingegaard also addressed his position in the general classification. After navigating the stage without incident and keeping the lead, the Dane admitted he was satisfied with the time gap built so far.
“Now I have a very good time advantage, which I’m very happy with,” he said. However, he avoided any hint of overconfidence despite his solid showing to date.
The Giro leader reminded that plenty of mountains remain and that the third week is often decisive in a Grand Tour. “There are still many stages ahead. The third week is the hardest here,” he warned.
So, despite wearing pink and controlling the race, Vingegaard made it clear he will not count his chickens. “I think you can only say you’ve won when you get to Rome,” concluded the Dane, keeping his guard up even on one of his most solid days at this Giro d’Italia.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
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